Carbonator



1934- J. R. MANLEY 1,945,489

CARBONATOR Filed Feb, 9, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuentoz YCZRIMLZ 17 Zey mmw I duozmq Jan. 30, 1934. MANLEY 1,945,489'

CARBONATQR Filed Feb. 9, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwoemtoz JfRMafiZey W Jan. 30, 1934. J R, MANLEY CARBONATOR Fil d F b, 9, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 30, g 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,945,489 CARBONATOR Application February 9, 1932. Serial No. 591,902

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in carbonating devices for the preparation of carbonated water for use in mixing sod'a fountain drinks.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for intimately mixing 01' dissolving carbonic gas in water for the preparation of the well known soda-water, which does not employ any moving elements and which is, therefore, designed to give long and satisfactory service without repairs or replacements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carbonating device making use of a porous stone body through which the gas is filtered and from which it is taken up and dissolved in water passing over the surface thereof.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of the carbonator embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on'the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of the carbonator structure illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates generally the casing of the carbonating device embodying the present invention, the bottom 2 of which is welded or otherwise suitably secured in place, while the top 3 which is in the form of a solid plate, is secured down upon a suitable leak-proof gasket 4 by bolts 5 which engage ears 6 carried by the wall of the casing 1.

This top has a suitable pressure indicating device '7 mounted thereon and opening therethrough to the interior of the casing so as to indicate the pressure of the gas and water mixture therein.

Extending down through the center of the top 3 is a pipe 8, the outer end of which is suitably formed as indicated at 9 for the connection of a carbonic gas tube therewith. Suitable nuts 10 are threaded onto this pipe upon opposite sides of the top or head 3 to secure the pipe rigidly in position to extend downwardly through the center of the casing. The pipe 8 has an area extending from the inner or lower end thereof, which is provided with a plurality of small apertures 11 and this apertured area of the gas pipe extending longitudinally through the bore or passage 12 which is formed axially through the elongated body 13 of porous stone. This body 13 has fine pores through which the gas after being discharged into the passage 12 from the pipe 8, as will be hereinafter more fully described, slowly seeps to the exterior surface where it appears in a state of fine division so that it may be readily absorbed by water in contact with the surface. The exterior surface of the porous stone body 13 is provided with numerous spiral grooves 111 which straighten out at the lower end of the stone body to be directed substantially longitudinally thereof and to open through the end face. to,

The porous stone body 13 is housed in a cylinder 15, the wall of which lies in relatively close proximity to the wall of the stone body so that only a. relatively small amount of water is permitted to pass between the cylinder and the stone body and the major portion of this falls in the spiral grooves or channels 14. As shown, the upper and lower ends 16 and 17 of the cylinder 15 extend beyond the adjacent ends of the porous body 13 and are of enlarged diameter and covering each end of the body 13 and positioning snugly in the enlarged end of the cylinder is an apertured metal plate 18. The plate 18 which positions against the lower end of the body 13 has a single circular series of apertures 19 therethrough over each of which an end'of a groove 14 positions. The apertures in the upper plate 18 are tutes the exterior wall of a casing in which the other cylinders 15 and 21 are housed.

The carbonic acid gas pipe 3, of course, passes through the center of the upper plate 22 and also through the centers of the apertured plates 18, the lower end of this pipe being closed by the cap nut 24 which also serves to secure the lower plate 18 in position. The upper plate has a nut bearing against its outer surface as indicated at 25 which nut is threaded to the gas pipe, and a second nut 26 threaded on the gas pipe bears against the outer surface of the top plate 22.

The wall of the enlarged upper portion 16 of the cylinder 15 is provided with a suitable number of apertures 27, above the adjacent plate 18, and the adjacent intermediate cylinder which is spaced from the cylinder 15 as shown has apertures 28 therethrough at its bottom end, while the next intermediate cylinder is provided with apertures 29 at its upper end. The outer cylinder 20 is apertured at its lower'end as indicated at 30. It will thus be seen that water flowing upwardly through the inner cylinder 15 passes back and forth in a vertical path before it escapes from the outer one of the cylinders.

' The lower plate 23 of the concentric cylinders has an aperture therethrough through which extends the upwardly directed pipe 31 which is suitably secured thereto by nuts 32 and this pipe is coupled with the water inlet pipe 33 which is preferably run in to the carbonator through the top 3 in the manner shown. In addition to this water inlet pipe 33 there is an outlet pipe 34 by which the carbonated water is drawn off from the lower part of the casing 1 through the top thereof.

In the operation of the present device the usual tube or cylinder of carbonic gas is coupled with the upper end of the gas pipe 8 and the gas is allowed to escape through a suitable control valve into the chamber or bore 2 which is formed longitudinally through the porous stone body 13. This gas then seeps slowly through the pores of the stone and as it appears upon the outer surface in the grooves 14 it will be picked up and absorbed by water which is discharged into the enlarged lower portion 17 of the inner cylinder 15,

from the pipe 33 and flows upwardly through the opening 19 and along these grooves to the top of the inner cylinder. Further agitation of this gas charged water takes place as it flows through the top openings 27 of the inner cylinder into the passages between the inner and outer and intermediate cylinders before it escapes into the main or storage receptacle 1.

In Figure 5 there is illustrated in longitudinal section a modified form of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1 m4 inclusive, wherein a single unit is provided with which the gas and water inlets and the carbonated water outlet are grouped together in a compact arrangement. In this modified form of theinvention the carbonated water tank is indicated generally by the numeral 35 and this tank has the removable head plate 36 through which is centrally formed an opening 37.

Supported upon the top of the head plate 36 of the tank is a casting which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 38, which as shown, is in the form of an elongated tubular body. This casting is formed with two interior diameters, the lowermost one of which is indicated by the numeral 39, while the upper one is indicated by the numeral 40. The lower end of the casting is exteriorally threaded as indicated at 41 and formed thereabout at the inner end of the threaded portion is a collar 42 which when the threaded portion of the casting is extended through the opening 37 of the tank head, rests upon the head in the manner shown. The casting has formed integral therewith the two laterally directed nippics 43 and 44 and the nipple 43 opens into the upper part of the lower portion of the casting or the portion of greatest diameter, .while the other nipple 44, opens into the upper part of the casting which is indicated by the numeral 40 and which is the area of smallest diameter. In the lower part of the area 40 the interior surface of the casting is screw-threaded, as indicated at 45 and screw threads are also formed in the wall of the area 39 just below the nipple 43, as indicated at 46.

The upper end of the casting 38 above the area 40 terminates in an exteriorly threaded nipple 47 which also has threads upon its interior surface, as indicated at 48.

In setting up the present-modified form of carbonator, after the nipple 38 has been mounted in position upon the head plate- 36 and a' suitable nut 49 has been threaded onto the lower portion thereof in engagement with the threads 41'to grip the head plate 36 between the nut and the collar 42, there is extended into the lower end of the casting one end of thegas conducting pipe 50. This pipe is provided throughout substantially half its length and .from the opposite end with apertures 51 which Within the innermost cylinder 54 there is positioned a relatively heavy plate 60 which abuts the lower end of the porous body 53 and has the annular series of apertures 61 therethrough each of which opens into the lower part of a spiral groove 62 in the surface of the porous body. This plate 60 is centrally apertured for the extension therethrough of the lower end of a water pipe 63, this pipe being of materially less diameter than the gas pipe 50 and extending therethrough as shown and having its upper end in threaded connection with the threads 45 and thus opening into the area 40 in the upper part of the casting which leads tothe nipple 44.

The lower end of the water pipe 63 receives a nut 64 which secures the plate 60 against the lower end of the porous body 53 and also secures the upper end of the porous body firmly against the top plate 53 of the concentric cylinders. Below this nut 64 the water pipe 63 is provided with a plurality of apertures. 65 through which water maybe discharged from the pipe into the area beneath the plate 60 to pass upwardly through the apertures 61 thereof and flow over the outer surfaceof the body 53 between the same and the innermost cylinder 54. As shown. the innermost cylinder 54 has apertures 66 therethrough at the top thereof so that the water will discharge therefrom into the area between it and the next outer cylinder 55. As illustrated the alternate ends of the cylinders 53 to 57 inclusive are provided with the apertures 66 so that as the water flows from within the central cylinder to the outer one and into the tank 35 it will follow a tortuous path and thus be thoroughly agitated to completely dissolve carbonic acid gas which it had absorbed in passing over the outer surface of the porous body 53 through which the gas had seeped.

The central portion of the top plate 58 of the concentric cylinders is, of course, apertured for the extension therethrough of the gas pipe 55 and the pipes within it 'and the central part of the lower plate 59 is also provided with a central aperture through which extends one end of a carbonated water lead-off pipe 67.

This lead-off pipe is of materially smaller diameter than the water pipe 63 and extends throughout the length of the water pipe through the area 40 of small diameter in the casting 38 for connection at its other end with the threads 48 so as to convey carbonated water to the leadoff nipple 47. The lower end of the carbonated water lead-off pipe 67 opens into the tank 35 beneath the series of nested cylinders, as illustrated, and of course, has the carbonated water discharged therethrough by reason of the pressure under which it is retained in the tank, when the pipe line connected with the nipple 47 is opened.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a modified form of the present invention as just described is of a more compact nature than the form previously described but in both forms of the invention the principle employed for mixing the carbonic acid gas with the water to form the carbonated water, is the same, and in both forms as will be readily apparent this principle is followed throughout without the employment of any moving parts whatsoever.

It will also be apparent that with a device constructed in accordance with the present invention wherein no moving parts are employed the possibility of the same getting out of order is extremely remote and the device will, therefore, operate satisfactorily for an indefinite period of time.

While it is to be understood that the invention is not to be so limited, it is preferred that the metal parts thereof be made of stainless or acid resisting steel so that the carbonic acid gas will not injure the structure.

The special porous stone referred to for effecting the solution of the carbonic acid gas in the water is preferably manufactured from certain special clays of a porous nature in which wood saw-dust is mixed and this is pressed into the proper form in dies and then burned or fired to the required degree of hardness. In addition to the porous character of the clays employed the firing burns out the saw-dust particles thus increasing the porosity of the finished stone. This is the preferred form of stone to be employed in the present device, but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the same as it may be that certain other types of natural stone might be found satisfactory for such use in which case the same might be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:-

1. A carbonating device comprising a tank, a body coupled with said tank and having a central, intermediate and an outer passage therethrough, each of said passages leading into the interior of the tank, the outer ends of the passages each being adapted to have a pipe line coupled therewith, a porous hollow body within the tank and having the inner end of the outer one of said passages opening thereinto for the discharge of gas thereinto, a casing within the tank and surrounding said porous body and having the intermedate one of said passages opening thereinto for the discharge of water thereinto, the said casing having an outlet so disposed as to require the water flowing thereto to pass over the exterior surface of the porous body, and said central passage opening into the tank and designed for the extract on of carbonated water therefrom.

'2. A carbonating device comprising a tank, a casting comprising anelongated hollow body interiorally formed to provide two areas, one of greater diameter than the other, the area of greatest diameter opening through one end of the casting, means for securing the said one end of the cast.ng'to a wall of the tank and extending the same through the wall into the tank, a pipe secured at one end in the areaof the casting of greatest diameter, a nipple opening through the wall of the casting into said last mentioned area and into said pipe, a second pipe passing through the first pipe and secured at one end in the other area of the casting, a coupLng formed integral with the casting and opening into the said other area, a hollow porous body within the tank having the other end of the first mentioned pipe extending thereinto and formed to discharge gas into the interior thereof, a cylinder surrounding and encasng said porous body and having the second mentioned pipe opening thereinto, said second mentioned pipe being designed to conduct water into the cylinder, said cylinder having outlets through the wall thereof at a point remote from the inlet end of the water pipe whereby water passing therethrough into the tank will flow over the porous body, and a third pipe extending longitudinally through the second mentioned pipe and having one end opening through the outer end of the casting and its other end opening into said tank for conducting carbonated water therefrom.

3. A carbonating apparatus, comprising a tank having a head, a pair of tubular bodies leading into the tank through and suspended from said head, a cylinder suspended in the tank by saidbodies, a plate disposed transversely of and in the cylinder adjacent one end thereof, heads closing the ends of the cylinder, one of the heads coacting with the plate to form opposed walls of a chamber in the cylinder, a hollow porous body of less overall diameter than the interior of the' cylinder, mounted in the cylinder between the plate and the other of the heads, one of said tubular bodies entering and providing means for introducing gas into the porous body, the other tubular body discharging water into said chamber, said plate having apertures to pass water from the chamber over the outer surface of the porous body, the said cylinder having water outlets at points remote from the chamber, and outlet means for the tank.

4. A carbonating apparatus, comprising a tank having a head, a. tubular body extending through said head into the tank, a cylindrical body of porous material having the first body extending therethrough, an apertured plate secured against and concentric with the inner end of the tubular body and supporting said cylindrical porous body, a cylinder encasing the porous body and the plate, said plate forming a partition in the cylinder, heads closing the ends of said cylinder, means for introducing water into the area between the plate and the adjacent head, said tubular body having apertures providing means for introducing gas into the porous body, the apertures of the plate passing water from said area to flow over the porous body, the cylinder having apertures therein adjacent the end remote from said area, and outlet means for the tank.

5. A carbonating device, comprising a cylinder closed at its ends and having fluid outlet apertures at one end, an apertured plate forming a partition in said cylinder adjacent an end remote from the outlet apertures, a cylindrical hollow porous body disposed within said cylinder upon said apertured plate, said porous body having a plurality of grooves in the outer surface and forming convolutions thereabout, each of said grooves at one end coinciding with an aperture of the apertured plate, a tank, tubular elements suspending said cylinder and porous body in the tank, through which elements gas is introduced into the interior of the porous body and water is introduced into the lower portion of said cylinder beneath the apertured plate, and outlet means for the tank.

6. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle, a plurality of concentric cylinders in said receptacle and having their ends closed, an elongated body of porous material disposed in the inner 'one of said concentric cylinders and terminating at, each end short of the adjacent end of the encasing cylinder, an apertured plate in each end of the said inner cylinder and forming a partition wall across the adjacent end of the porous body, means for introducing gas under pressure to the interior of said porous body for escape slowly therethrough, means for introducing water into one end of the inner cylinder for passage through the adjacent apertured plate to flow over the surface of the porous body through the apertured plate in the other end of the cylinder, outlet means for said other end of the cylinder, the others of said concentric cylinders being provided with outlet apertures at alternate ends thereof leading through the outermost one into said receptacle, and lead-off means for the receptacle.

'7. A carbonating device comprising a receptacle, a plurality of concentric cylinders in said receptacle and having their ends closed, an elongated'body of porous material disposed in the inner one of said concentric cylinders and terminating at each end short of the adjacent end of the encasing cylinder, an apertured plate in each end of the said inner cylinder and forming a partition wall across the adjacent end of the porous body, means for introducing gas under pressure to the interior of said porous body for escape slowly therethrough, means for introducing water into one end of the inner cylinder for passage through the adjacent apertured plate to flow over the surface of the porous body through the apertured plate in the other end of the cylinder, outlet means for the said other end of the cylinder, the others of said concentric cylinders being provided with outlet apertures at alternate ends leading through the outermost one into said receptacle, lead-off means for the receptacle, said porous body having channels or flutes formed in the outer surface thereof and leading from one end to the other and the said innermost cylinder being formed intermediate its ends ,to fit relatively closely about the porous body through substantially the entire length of the latter.

8. A carbonating device, comprising a pair of receptacles one within the other, an elongated body of porous stone disposed in the inner receptacle, a head closing each end of the inner receptacle, an apertured wall spaced from each head and forming therewith a chamber at the adjacent end of the said stone body, means for introducing gas under pressure into the interior of the stone body to escape therethrough by seeping through the wall thereof, means-for introducing water from a source outside the receptacles into the chamber at one end of the body to flow through the adjacent apertured wall into the inner receptacle and over the porous bodyand through the other apertured wall into the chamber at the other end of the body, outlet means leading only from the chamber at the said other end of the body into the outer receptacle, and means for drawing directly from the outer receptacle the liquid which is passed thereinto from the last mentioned chamber.

.1012.v R. MANLEY. 

